Mayor of Astrakhan detained for bribe-taking convoyed to Moscow

Mikhail Stolyarov, the Mayor of Astrakhan, suspected of receiving a large bribe, has been convoyed by plane to Moscow, said a source from regional law enforcement bodies.

Mikhail Stolyarov was detained today at about 1:00 p.m. According to Vladimir Markin, the spokesman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), the Mayor was detained in a restaurant when receiving a bribe from a businessman in the amount of 10 million roubles. A criminal case was opened against him.

According to investigators, Stolyarov tried to receive a bribe from a local businessman, who had earlier applied to the Mayoralty for a land plot in Astrakhan of 3000 square meters for erecting an administrative building. The businessman reported to the police that Stolyarov had asked for a bribe of 10 million roubles. Law enforcers took control of the situation and eventually detained Stolyarov red-handed.

Meanwhile, Elena Panfilova, the head of the Russian branch of Transparency International, believes that the detention of the Mayor of Astrakhan means a war on corruption at a higher level. "The threshold has been lifted. Earlier, they were vice-mayors, municipal or provincial MPs – now, even Mayors have been already withdrawn from the rank of the untouchable," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Ms Panfilova as saying.